Freedom
by Carmen Dehn
Summary: Even though she knew he would break her heart again, she stayed faithfully by his side. When she finally decides she's had enough, an interesting encounter with an 'enemy' leads her to offer a proposal... and her life is turned upsidedown when he accepts.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Well, here it is. Just another random idea I had one day.**

Chapter 1: How it Began

Kagome sighed as she recalled all of the happenings of the day. Currently, she was standing in the middle of a clearing, staring at an enemy of her group, and she was too unhappy about what happened to care much that he was there. In fact, she had asked him to stay.

All around her was trees. The forest went on for at least a mile before you could get to the nearest village; Kaede's village; where Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippou and Kirara were staying, along with _her_. She was most certainly not pleased. She had to clench her fists very tightly not to take out her pocket knife, go back to the village in the middle of the night, and slit open Inuyasha's throat. Too many unwanted facts for her taste...

'Why am I being like this,' Kagome questioned herself miserably. 'I'm supposed to be the optimistic one of the group.' It was true after all, she was. But yet, she could not manage to remain cheerful when Inuyasha had chosen Kikyou over her _again_.

**Flashback!**

Inuyasha had vanished and she had gone to look for him… she was only half surprised when she had seen Inuyasha and Kikyou in a small clearing, staring at one another. Kagome had been able to hear every word that they spoke and she had wanted to leave their presence, but she had not been able to move.

"Well Inuyasha, have you chosen," Kikyou had asked in a tone that sounded both threatening and amused at the same time. "…Between me and my reincarnation?"

Kagome almost ran away at that, but instead she had braced herself for what she knew would be next.

"Kikyou…" Inuyasha had spoken softly as his voice trailed off. A moment passed before he picked up the sentence. "There was never a choice to make… I love you and only you. Kagome is just a shard detector… she always was and always will be."

"I see," Kikyou said, her voice thick with what seemed to be pleasure at hearing that she was the better one. "Then you do not feel any hatred towards me over what I did to my reincarnation… trying to kill her?"

"No. I don't. Of course I don't Kikyou… I could never hate you." He had silently approached her and embraced her in a warm hug which, to Inuyasha's and Kagome's surprise, Kikyou had returned.

They (Kikyou and Inuyasha) had returned to the village hand in hand with a smile on both of their faces and Kagome was left in the bushes where she had hid to think about what she had heard while releasing tears that her eyes seemed so intent in forming.

**End Flashback…**

So now, she stood in front of her enemy, waiting for him to return from his thoughts. Finally, he turned to her, and she started to speak.

**---**

He had watched her for quite a long time, this girl. She wasn't overly fascinating, but he had been slightly bored and needed something to do. He recognized her fairly well. Inuyasha's wench… what was her name again? Kagome? Yes, that was it. Kagome… he had heard crying about an hour ago and thought he might as well find the source. Humans were normally amusing when they were crying, but she had just sat there and sobbed. She hadn't moved in over forty-five minutes, and her sobbing wouldn't stop. Instead, it got worse every minute. She was sitting on the ground, face buried in her knees, crying. It was quite boring.

By then, he was rather uninterested and was about to leave, but the girl decided right then to calm down. In fact… she had become silent quite suddenly then. Well, all except for her slightly heavy breathing. Then he was curious as to why she had stopped crying so suddenly. Damn this wench. He would never be able to leave.

"I know you've been watching me." At this, he was startled. How had she noticed him? He might not have put up a barrier, because there were no immediate threats here, but he was over twenty-five feet away, hidden up in a tree. He had stayed perfectly still, hoping that she would think that she had been imagining things.

"I know you've been watching me." She repeated. "You've been over there for more than an hour now." Just wonderful... she'd known he'd been there the whole time. He stood up and was about to leap off in the opposite direction from where she sat when she called out to him again.

"Please don't leave." He sighed inaudibly. He wanted to leave, but for some reason the mixture of hope and despair in her voice would not allow him to. "Please, Sesshoumaru. Don't leave."

He hated when he couldn't bring himself to do what he wanted most. Jumping down out of the branch, Sesshoumaru had walked slowly towards her, leaves and twigs crunching under his boots as he strode in her direction. The autumn air was slightly refreshing, but he didn't know how she could stand to wear such… revealing clothes at this time of year. By the time he had gotten there, she was standing and looking at him intently. Her face was slightly puffy and soaked with tears, her eyes were pink and above all, she smelled like sadness. It was… strangely intriguing that this girl who was always so cheerful (from what he had observed in the past) could be so utterly unhappy.

Quite a few questions were racing through his mind…

How long had she been crying before he got there?

How did she notice him?

What happened to make her so unhappy?

Why did whatever happened affect her so much?

But, the most important question: Why did he care?

He looked at her again. This time she was sitting on a rock, but her gaze still searched him, as if seeing if he would get mad at her for what she was obviously about to say.

"Sesshoumaru, I'd like to ask a favor of you…"

He nodded in her direction so that she would know he was listening, and she started talking again. "I'd like to travel with you. I don't want to be near that bastard anymore."

"And why this sudden change in will?" He really did want to know, but to her it just sounded if he was mocking her.

She was silent for a moment, searching him for a sign that he would not judge her by her answer. Finally she decided that she didn't care what he thought and she sighed, answering his question. "He's broken my heart too many times. I don't want to go through that again… I can't see him with her. I just… I can't." She stood up and waited for a reply, her breath held while he pondered over her question.

Sesshoumaru looked over at her for the umpteenth time, curiosity showing in his eyes. He grinned unnoticeably, removing his gaze from her figure. At this, she stood.

"We will see, girl." He walked away, leaving her confused, and slightly frustrated. He could smell her determination, though, and paused.

"And how would I benefit from such an... inconvenient situation?"

"Well," Kagome started, "I know that Inuyasha still cares for me, even though he might not say so. I would be valuable for fights against him. Also, I can sense the jewel shards, so I can help you track down Naraku. And even besides that, I have knowledge of medicine, among other aspects that would be helpful in traveling."

"I have no need for help with Inuyasha, I am not particularly interested in the whereabouts of Naraku, nor do I need someone with medical training. What else might you be educated in?"

Kagome sighed, grinning slightly. She had saved these for last, thinking them the most important. "I am a very powerful priestess. I have greater power than Kikyou ever did. I might also, if you are interested, be able to keep any demons from entering your domain unless you allow them to. It would require no effort what-so-ever on your part to keep your lands free from annoyances."

Sesshoumaru pondered this for a few moments, before extending his hand.

"Very well. You may accompany me in my travels for now. But be warned: If I notice so much as a hint of trickery in you, I will not hesitate to take action."

"Yes." Kagome said. "Yes, I understand."

Then she smiled, and said the most unexpected thing Sesshoumaru could have thought of.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru."

**AN: Please review! Even flames are greatly appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Alright, I know that this is only the second chapter, but I promise you that sooner or later there will be plot... it just... hasn't occurred to me what that plot should be, and I'm leaning in like three different directions. So please, bear with me on this one! Also, I'm doing my best to have the characters stay true to their personalities, so please forgive any out-of-character-ness that might transpire.**

**  
Well, here's chapter 2. Enjoy!**

Chapter 2: Small Annoyances

Kagome looked over at Sesshoumaru, taking in the slightly annoyed look in his eyes, and his twitching claws. She looked away then, and her step had a bit more of a mirthful bounce to it. She could hear him sigh in frustration.

After he said that he would allow her to travel with him, she had asked him if they could travel to Kaede's village, where the others were staying, so that she could pick up her belongings and say goodbye to her friends. Of course, he had refused at first, but she wouldn't take no for an answer. Eventually, he had given in, and that was where they were headed now.

"Girl," Sesshoumaru said, "We are here."

Kagome snapped out of her trance-like-state and took in their surroundings. They were at the edge of the village. Kagome was confused now; where was Inuyasha? Surely he had picked up Sesshoumaru's scent by now, along with hers. Normally, he would have found his half-brother as soon as he stepped foot within a mile of them, but he was nowhere to be found.

"Yeah," Kagome sighed, "we're here..." Her voice trailed off slightly at the end, and she fixed her gaze towards the ground. But then her head shot up, a bright smile plastered on her face. "Well, there's no use being gloomy. I Might as well just get it over and done with."

Sesshoumaru looked at her pointedly. "That's the same thing."

She looked confused for a second, and then her mind dimly recognized that getting something over with with was, in fact, the same thing as 'getting something done'. "Oh yeah, I guess it is. Well, whatever." And she once again started walking, Sesshoumaru trailing close behind her, emotionless mask perfectly in place.

Within a matter of seconds they were in front of Kaede's hut. They could hear the loud conversation from inside. The occupants of the hut were obviously hungry, but Kagome could hear mentions of waiting until 'she' got back. It was pretty late at night, so everyone must have been hungry. Kagome took a deep breath.

"You should probably wait outside until they're ready to see you." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "I agree."

Kagome took that as a good sign and smiled at him. Then she gathered up her courage and marched into the hut.

The first one to notice her was Shippou, who immediately launched himself at her and started firing off a list of everything that had happened in her absence.

"Kagome! Where were you? We were so worried! And Inuyasha has been terrible to me! He kept pulling on my tail, he hit me on the head, and then he kept calling me and idiot even though everyone knows that he's the real idiot! He came back with Kikyou," He paused and pointed over near the back corner of the hut, where Kikyou was sitting, glaring in Kagome's general direction, and then resumed talking. "Sango made dinner, but she said we should wait until you got back to eat. Oh, and Miroku has been slapped at least twice since you went out..." His voice trailed off, something suddenly registering in his mind. "Kagome, why do you smell like tears?"

Kagome blinked, and smiled. "Don't worry about it, Shippou. It's nothing important. Anyway, I'm starved. What's to-" But she was interrupted.

"Where the hell've you been!" Inuyasha sounded really angry, but there was a hint of concern in his voice that made Kikyou turn to him with an angry stare.

"Where do you think I've been, Inuyasha?" Even though it was a question, it came out sounded like a statement. Kagome winced; her voice seemed bitter even to her. She looked at Inuyasha, hurt and betrayal, along with tears, shining in her eyes. She blinked once, her throat closing up slightly. "I've been anywhere but here," she managed to choke out.

She sat down suddenly, and Miroku chose that moment to speak.

"Kagome, would you care for some dinner? The lovely Sango has prepared a delicious meal for us."

Kagome smiled her thanks, and accepted. After eating a bit of it, she regained her voice. She thought for a while, wondering how to word the current situation, and looking down at her lap where Shippou had fallen asleep.

"I know this is selfish of me, but I can no longer continue to travel with you all... I just... I can't." She looked sadly over in the direction of Kikyou, who remained silent, but seemed to have a triumphant gleam in her eyes.

Inuyasha started growling. "I smell Sesshoumaru. He's close."

"I know," Kagome said plainly. She sighed, taking a deep breath again. "I brought him here. Or rather, he's here because of a-"

"What did you do!" Inuyasha snarled at her, fangs bared.

Kagome sighed loudly. She was clearly frustrated. "I was just explaining that, Inuyasha. Now please, calm down."

"Like hell I will! You brought that bastard here! What kind of moron are-"

"SIT BOY!" At this point, Miroku, Sango, and Shippou (along with Kaede), sighed.

"Now, if you will allow me to speak, I will finish. Obviously, I can't stay with all of you, since I'm not exactly welcome, so Sesshoumaru is allowing me to travel with him until things cool off." Kagome looked down. "I know that this sounds weird, and it's a very selfish thing to do, but I wouldn't feel comfortable here with her around."

Sesshoumaru entered the hut. "Dear brother," he began, a sarcastic tone weighing heavily on the word 'dear', "for as long as this girl is with me, I assure you, she will be taken care of."

Everyone sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few moments, until Inuyasha made a sort of angry, growling noise. "And what's in this for you? Why would you agree to this?"

Sesshoumaru looked over at his half-brother. "She has already made her point on how she can be useful, and I have no reason to turn down something that can be beneficial to me."

Inuyasha was grasping for some weak point in the argument, at something he could use against Sesshoumaru, but he could find nothing. He growled. "What are you having her do, you bastard?"

Sesshoumaru sat down near Kagome's side, sensing that they would be here for quite some time.

"I am doing nothing to her."

"He's right, Inuyasha. I'm going to be... euhm... sort of a security system for him. I promised to keep his lands safe in exchange for burdening him."

Sango, who had been silent since Kagome arrived, spoke up. "But isn't that dangerous? What if you get hurt?"

"Don't worry Sango. I'll be fine."

"And what of you, Sesshoumaru," Miroku questioned, "What is your current objective? What is keeping you from securing your own lands?"

Sesshoumaru fixed his icy gaze on Miroku. "Do not think, for even a moment, that I am unable to secure my own lands."

"My apologies. I did not mean it that way. I merely wondered as to why it was that particular... assignment... that Kagome was given."

"She volunteered." Sesshoumaru gave the slightest hint of a shrug. "And she claimed that it would require little to no effort."

"I see." Miroku was convinced, but Sango had to chime in.

"And you will see to it that she is not harmed?" She didn't like the idea of Kagome traveling with the demon lord, but if he would swear to keep her from harm, then she had no direct objections.

"I will." It was settled. Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango were all out of things to say... that only left two people to deal with...

"Kaede," Kagome began, "Do you have any questions?"

"Nay, child. It is not my place to interfere with your decisions. I can only wish ye well."

Kagome smiled. "Thank you, Kaede."

Kagome looked down at the little fox demon, who had somehow managed to remain asleep throughout the entire exchange. She turned to Sesshoumaru. "Euhmm... would you mind terribly if we brought Shippou along with us? I don't think he would want to stay with the others if I'm not around."

Sesshoumaru was silent for a moment, pondering her newest request. "I will trust that you will keep him as your responsibility, correct?"

"Of course."

"Then I see no reason not to allow it."

Kagome smiled slightly, thanking him. Sesshoumaru looked around the hut for a moment, taking in the way everyone was looking at Kagome. He could tell that all of them, aside from the undead priestess, were fond of her. Inuyasha was trying to hide his despair at her leaving, but he also had a slight glint of regret in his expression. The demon slayer, Sango, was obviously confused and seemed uncomfortable in his presence, but she caught his gaze, and nodded her approval. The monk seemed to alternate between casting odd glances towards Kikyou, sending barely-there glares at Inuyasha, and looking at Kagome with an impressed and slightly mystified expressions. In the end, he too turned in Sesshoumaru's direction, gazed at him thoughtfully, and nodded his approval.

The old woman and the undead priestess seemed not to care, though Kikyou had an oddly victorious air about her.

Sesshoumaru stood.

"We should be going. It is getting very late."

Kagome nodded, standing. She gathered Shippou in her arms after shouldering her backpack, and the three exited the hut.

The others watched them leave silently. All of them felt slightly uneasy, but Sango was a bit worse-off than the rest. She could only hope her gut feeling that something bad was going to happen was just a feeling...


End file.
